And rais’d their prices three to one: 
For one predicting pimp has th’ odds
Of chauldrons of plain downright bawds. 370
But as an elf (the Devil’s valet)
Is not so slight a thing to get;
For those that do his bus’ness best,
In hell are us’d the ruggedest;
Before so meriting a person 375
Cou’d get a grant, but in reversion,
He serv’d two prenticeships, and longer,
I’ th’ myst’ry of a lady-monger. 
For (as some write) a witch’s ghost,
As soon as from the body loos’d, 380
Becomes a puney-imp itself
And is another witch’s elf. 
He, after searching far and near,
At length found one in Lancashire
With whom he bargain’d before-hand, 385
And, after hanging, entertained;
Since which h’ has play’d a thousand feats,
And practis’d all mechanick cheats,
Transform’d himself to th’ ugly shapes
Of wolves and bears, baboons and apes, 390
Which he has vary’d more than witches,
Or Pharaoh’s wizards cou’d their switches;
And all with whom h’ has had to do,
Turn’d to as monstrous figures too. 
Witness myself, whom h’ has abus’d, 395
And to this beastly shape reduc’d,
By feeding me on beans and pease,
He crams in nasty crevices,
And turns to comfits by his arts,
To make me relish for disserts, 400
And one by one, with shame and fear,
Lick up the candy’d provender. 
Beside —­ But as h’ was running on,
To tell what other feats h’ had done,
The Lady stopt his full career, 405
And told him now ’twas time to hear
If half those things (said she) be true —­
They’re all, (quoth he,) I swear by you. 
Why then (said she,) That Sidrophel
Has damn’d himself to th’ pit of Hell; 410
Who, mounted on a broom, the nag
And hackney of a Lapland hag,
In quest of you came hither post,
Within an hour (I’m sure) at most;
Who told me all you swear and say, 415
Quite contrary another way;
Vow’d that you came to him to know
If you should carry me or no;
And would have hir’d him, and his imps,
To be your match-makers and pimps, 420
T’ engage the Devil on. your side,
And steal (like Proserpine) your bride. 
But he, disdaining to embrace. 
So filthy a design and base,
You fell to vapouring and huffing 425
And drew upon him like a ruffin;
Surpriz’d him meanly, unprepar’d,
Before h’ had time to mount his guard;
And left him dead upon the ground,
With many a bruise and desperate wound:  430
Swore you had broke and robb’d his house,
And stole his talismanique louse,
And all his new-found old inventions;.